Configuración de una programación de exploración de inventario para un dis

The continuous loss and modification of habitats in Tobago predominantly by bush fires, has caused extensive disturbance and fragmentation of its natural ecosystems. As the island ecosystems are fragmented, bamboos are spreading rapidly into forest gaps, colonizing the areas. The results of this research showed that natural forest ecosystems are preferred by birds over ecosystems that are dominated by bamboos. It also proved that secondary forest habitats are valuable for the colonization of a larger proportion of birds in Tobago. It is clearly evident that the changing heterogenous landscape of Tobago to one that is of a bamboo homogeneous nature has resulted in fewer bird species at lower densities being detected. It was also evident that bird species richness and abundance were associated with ecosystems that had a greater heterogenous structure. The bird guilds in Tobago responded positively to the natural forest ecosystem; the frugivore, omnivore and nectarivore guilds were the most affected by the dominance of bamboos. The densities of a higher proportion of birds detected in the survey were reduced in the bamboo ecosystem; though some increased, it is difficult to make specific recommendations for bird conservation in the area; as it will benefit some bird species at the expense of others.

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One case of an alien invasive species which is currently making headlines in T&T is the Red Palm Mite. This species has severely affected local coconut production, and has therefore become a priority for the Ministry of Food Production, Land and Marine Affairs (Box 1.10).

BOX 1.10: „RED PALM MITE ATTACKS COCONUTS, SALES‟ Excerpted from the Trinidad and Tobago Newsday; Wednesday, June 30 2010

The coconut industry in Trinidad and Tobago is under attack and has recorded a 70 percent decline as a result. The Red Palm Mite, a tiny red insect barely visible with the naked eye feeds through the pores of the leaves of the coconut tree. The mite damages guard cells in the leaf, resulting in uncontrollable water loss from the plant. Leaves yellow, then turn brown and will eventually die. Without healthy leaves, the trees cannot produce healthy nuts. The mite‟s first appearance in the Caribbean was in Martinique in 2004. It first appeared in Trinidad and Tobago in 2006 in Icacos, south Trinidad but has since spread throughout the country. Speaking at yesterday‟s consultations Food Production Minister Vasant Barath said it is integral to develop a proper pest management strategy to deal with the mite because it poses a significant threat to the economy. “We have a huge import bill because of the destruction caused by the mite. In 2007, 1.3 million kilograms of oil were imported due to lack of copra production,” said Barath. Trinidad and Tobago imports over 90 percent of its copra from Guyana because Guyana has not been affected by the mite to the extent Trinidad and Tobago has been affected. Phillippe Agostini from the Coconut Growers‟s Association (CGA) said production levels at CGA‟s coconut estates are down by 75 to 80 percent. “We are losing a lot of money, from over $5000,000 before the appearance of the mite, to about $1000,000 after,” said Agostini. Agostini said another consequence of the mite infestation to Trinidad and Tobago, because of the shortage in the production of coconut and coconut products, is an increase in the price of oils, “which has risen by 100 to 200 percent. He also said the price of coconut water has risen by 100 percent from 2007. Agostini said presently there is an increased demand for coconuts in all forms but “we are now seeing a decline in production levels due to the Red Palm Mite.” The effect on the economy of the industry has been astronomical. Apart from the economic threat of the infestation to the country, there is the threat to tourism and traditional practices. “Coconut is one of the last plantation crops in Trinidad and Tobago. There is a threat to traditional practices if the problem of the Red Palm Mite is not arrested in the short term. Coconut trees play an integral role in the tourist industry so it is very important to preserve the coconut palm,” said Agostini. Farouk Shah from the Trinidad and Tobago Agri-Business Association (TTABA) said there is a visible reduction in coconut vendors around the Queen‟s Park Savannah. “Many people come to TT on drink a cold coconut from the Savannah. This is a tradition, but we are not noticing that there are not a lot of vendors again. The nut is not easily available and as such vendors are finding it very difficult to get coconuts to sell,” said Shah. This has led to the problem of theft of the nuts from private estates. Dr. Elizabeth Johnson from the Centre for Agriculture and Bio Science Interaction said coconuts are not the only vegetation which has been affected by the mite, Bananas, Heliconias and Ginger Lilies have also been affected. Johnson explained that the problem of Red Palm Mite is so detrimental to the industry that it has caused production levels to fall below that of a natural disaster. “We have seen that production levels have dropped beneath that of when Hurricane Gilbert flattened a number of Caribbean islands,” said Johnson. Johnson said there are various methods which could be employed in the fight against the Red Palm Mite. “Good agricultural practices, such as proper fertilization of plantations, so the tree would be able to protect itself as well as recover from an attack is one method of fighting the mite,” said Johnson. She said the best method of dealing with the plague is to use resistant varieties of plants. “Varieties of coconut plants which are resistant to the mite need to be developed. This is the only full-proof method of combating this devastating problem,” said Johnson.

Source: http://www.newsday.co.tt/business/0,123232.html

1.4.2 Indirect Drivers of Change

Generally, data and information on indirect drivers of change are much less extensive than that for direct drivers. The key indirect drivers are described below.

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Many of the changes which have been experienced over the last decade in the direct drivers of change affecting T&T‟s biodiversity have been almost directly on account of rapid economic growth in Trinidad and Tobago. In fact, it is probably fair to say that economic growth has been the single most important indirect driving force in biodiversity loss in Trinidad and Tobago.

Owing to a very prosperous energy sector, Trinidad and Tobago managed to sustain a very high rate of development for several years – one of the fastest rates of development in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). The annual growth in GDP is shown in Figure 1.32. In the Caribbean, T&T is the leading producer of crude oil, and internationally, it ranks as the fifth largest exporter of Liquefied Natural Gas (U.S. State Department, 2010). The local availability of oil and gas has led to the development of a number of downstream petrochemical industries such as ammonia and methanol production, and it has also spawned significant growth in other sectors such as construction. In turn, this led to increasing demand for acreage to accommodate housing and industry as well as non-petroleum mineral resources.

Wealth however, is not evenly distributed as there is a significant disparity of financial and physical assets between Trinidad and those of Tobago as well as amongst the various classes that make up the nation‟s society. Most of the industrial growth has occurred on the island of Trinidad. Tobago‟s local economy depends heavily on tourism (World Resources Institute 2006), and to a lesser extent agriculture. Tobago‟s local GDP is thus lower than Trinidad‟s. In addition to this, in 2007 (most recent estimate), it was recorded that in T&T, seventeen percent of the population was below the poverty line (Central Intelligence Agency, 2010) – a relatively high figure given the reported gross GDP of the country.